Eugene- and Springfield-area school districts are preparing for an eventual return to school buildings after a loosening of state COVID-19 restrictions on Jan. 1 granted them more local control. However, with some unanswered questions, they're waiting on more state guidance to come this month before making any decisions. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Dec. 23 that in the new year, school districts will no longer be required to abide by state restrictions based on case counts to reopen schools. Instead, the state's health metrics will be advisory rather than mandatory, and districts will make the call whether to bring students back for in-person instruction.